The Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases has set Nov 25 for the ruling on Panthongtae Shinawatra, son of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, in the Krungthai Bank lending case 13 years ago.
The court on Thursday set the date after concluding the hearing of witnesses which began Tuesday.
Mr Panthongtae was accused of money-laundering because he had received a 10-million-baht cheque linked to the illegitimately approved loans from Krungthai Bank (KTB) totalling 9.9 billion baht that the state-run bank extended to subsidiaries of real estate developer Krisdamahanakorn (KMC) between 2003 and 2004 while his father Thaksin Shinawatra was the prime minister.
Mr Panthongtae told the court on Thursday that the money came from his friend Ratchada Krisdathanon who wanted to co-invest in his business project, dating from 2004, to import luxury cars. Mr Ratchada is the son of KMC owner Wichai Krisdathanon.
The car project was later scrapped because his financial adviser did not think it was feasible and the money was returned to Mr Ratchada, Mr Panthongtae said.
He told the court he did not know why the cheque was signed by Mr Ratchada's father, Wichai.
Mr Panthongtae said he was not worried because he believed he had given clear answers to the court. He promised to be at the court on the ruling date.
Wichai was sentenced to 12 years over the KTB loans in 2015.
Under a debt-rehabilitation agreement, KMC was not eligible to receive any more loans. However, KTB eventually gave credit lines totalling 9.9 billion baht to its subsidiaries. Of the total, 8 billion baht was for repaying the debts it had with Bangkok Bank. One of the directors alleged the "big boss" wanted them to approve the loan.
But days before the loan was approved, Bangkok Bank, Krisdamahanakorn's creditor, gave the company a haircut to 4.5 billion baht from 14.3 billion if the amount was paid in a month.
After receiving 8 billion baht of the loan from KTB, only 4.5 billion went to clearing the debts with Bangkok Bank. The rest was spent in several transactions to different groups and people, including Wichai, whose money was used to buy the 10-million-baht cashier's cheque for Mr Panthongtae.
A panel set up by the 2006 coupmakers found irregularities in the lending and the National Anti-Corruption Commission took over the case.
In 2015, former KTB president Viroj Nualkhair, former bank chairman Suchai Jaovisidha and 22 other bank staff were found guilty of charges connected to the KTB scandal.
Earlier this year, the Supreme Court acquitted Thaksin of charges in connection with the same KTB loan scandal, saying that there was no evidence to prove he was the "big boss" who had ordered KTB to approve the 9.9 billion baht in loans to KMC's affiliates.